Elevaed’s LifePad™ Phone solution addresses needless deaths in high rises

Vancouver, BC -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/01/2014 --The LifePad life safety phone announced this week by Elevaed Medical Inc. is essentially a specialized cellular 8" phablet, enclosed by a heavy aluminum bracket, that is mounted over a counter at a security or reception area. Most often, it is a "front desk phone" that building occupants register on.

Unlike other tablets such as iPads, a "phablet" has its own phone number and can receive voice phone calls normally as a cellphone, but you can send it a text as well – and that feature is the key.

Only one victim in twenty currently survives a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in high rises, given the near-impossible task rescue vehicles have in accessing them within four minutes, through traffic in busy cities.

SCA survival could improve by an order of difference (to 50%+) if the precious gift that is within every AED was not wasted in those delays, and increasingly – when a young person is retrieved from an overdose by a simple injection from an epi-pen. Paramedics have a saying - "Time is brain."

The LifePad is a front desk phone but also a working web terminal while waiting for calls (it should not be used to phone out). But when it rings or receives a text, it means somebody registered on it is onsite and needs prompt assistance. No external network beyond the phone itself is required.

Elevaed distributes a cellphone app for iOS and Android that allows one-press sending of that fateful text – which might be one's last – and security staff will be monitoring it. If the victim loses consciousness, both 9-1-1 and the responder can read the broadcasted text (up to 6 phone numbers) showing an exact address, not just estimated GPS coordinates, along with any medical history or stated risks voluntarily entered when registering.

The desk staff or security guard then brings a medical bag ( AED, Naloxone OD anti-opioid, oxygen bottle, bandages etc.) ) and can be alongside in as little as two minutes, concentrating on early resuscitation within time limits 9-1-1 vehicles cannot approach. One security guard can theoretically protect a multi-tower complex within a “radius” of 4 minutes one way - and get there reliably with pass keys. Others may attend with him.

From dying quietly (or in chaos) in an apartment or at work, the patient is now more likely to survive, with much less chance of lasting organ damage. The difference lies in having the equipment and a modestly trained staff person somewhere onsite, because cardiac and overdose events present a ruthless time frame. Without intervention, the victim likely dies or worse – suffers a TBI (traumatic brain injury) or severe paralysis that is an ongoing disaster for families and society.

Having a cellphone on their person now offers occupants an unprecedented chance to appeal their own “fate” – provided somebody is fielding the text (or voice call) locally. When fire/ambulance arrive about ten minutes later, they complement and consolidate the rescue, providing aftercare and transport to a hospital if necessary.

About LifePad
The LifePad is the first cellphone designed solely to supplement AEDs in building complexes against life threats that statistically kill more than 70% of Americans. When partnered with BCLS, CPR or paramedic training, this simple but advanced solution redefines safety for these complexes to the highest standard.Elevaed CEO Dwight Jones added that "Local participation takes some pressure off EMS, who can be called off in some instances, and engages the CPR training that many staff and the community already have. The LifePad itself leverages the public cellular networks as our own."

Jones says "The phone and texting app do most of the monitoring, and having someone with a first aid ticket on each shift as one of the text recipients - every advantage of scale then works on the victim's behalf in these buildings - not against them when relying solely on busy EMS vehicles. Fewer AEDs will be needed, yet many more lives can be saved, by registering building occupants on this phone. Heart and life safety is the real issue here - a single LifePad offers facilities administrators a chance to resolve some persistent public health and safety issues pro-actively and very elegantly."

Health authorities, municipalities, property management and security firms can install LifePads anywhere, so help during a life crisis is available to anyone regardless of income status. Elevaed will be renewing its bi-annual campaign to mention AEDs in the building codes for large facilities.

The NW medical manufacturer welcomes partner inquiries for distributing LifePad phones, beginning with their production release this fall.